I can't speak for anyone else but the Farberware nonstick seems to work okay for normal stuff like cookies, at least for me! Costco also had some NorPro (spelling?) baking pans, 2 for $14 or something like that, you may want to check there.

Until you know it's an item your going to use a lot you should go with the cheapest you can find. K-Mart, Walmart, etc. items are great to use for this.
Use them until they wear out and find the properties you need in said items. Sometimes the Cheapo version is all you need.

When you find you need an upgrade on something then a good internet search with your acquired knowledge is in order.

Every kitchen/chef needs something.

Figuring out what that is and how much to budget for it is a subjective thing.

I always start cheap and place any replacements into the learning curve.

Some of the cheapest things I ever acquired are still around and functioning very well after years of use.

So true. I have two mandolins. One is the Oxo stand alone and one is a hand held one that you can place over a bowl. The second one is the one I use all the time. The big Oxo one is going to be going with The Pirate when he gets his own apartment. I don't have the counter room for using it. And it is just too big for me. I also have a heavy duty potato ricer. I would rather have a baked potato. Less work, and no room for storage. Storage is a big item in this kitchen.

I have this habit of telling the kids what I want for Christmas, birthday, etc. of things I would love to have for the kitchen. And then when I get it, I discover I don't have the room for it. So cost is not the problem, storing it is.

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Illegitimi non carborundum!
I don't want my last words to be, "I wish I had spent more time doing housework"

Real professional grade stuff from restaurant supply doesn't cost as much as you'd think, often cheaper than even Walmart. For instance 1/2 sheet size baking sheets for cookies and bars, $5 each at my restaurant supply. Loaf pans $7, cake pans $5. They are likely to last you a lifetime. We use these in a commercial environment and they get a lot of abuse and still hang together.

Using 40-50% coupons from craft stores can get you great deals on bakeware.

Not just for cookies and bars... I use mine almost daily. I bought my heavy duty ones in a 2 pack at Sam's Club for $12. I bought 4, gave 2 to my sister, and like me, she uses them for everything. They are great for roasted chicken parts, ribs, frozen french fries (and for crispy roasted red potatoes with oil and herbs they are great) - and whatever. I usually line them with foil, then spray that to make cleanup easier, but for baking I use silicone mats instead. I use the the sheer pans under pies and casseroles if there is a concern for spillage or boil-over.

My 1/2 sheet pans are probably the best bang for buck that I have in the kitchen, considering how much I use them.

I also bought a glass 9x13 cake pan at Walmart from Anchor-Hocking instead of Pyrex last month, because the Pyrex was nearly twice the price - my old Pyrex one shattered in the oven a couple of months before we moved back to the States. The Anchor brand one came with a silicone cover that makes taking things to pot luck dinners easier too.

Not just for cookies and bars... I use mine almost daily. I bought my heavy duty ones in a 2 pack at Sam's Club for $12. I bought 4, gave 2 to my sister, and like me, she uses them for everything. They are great for roasted chicken parts, ribs, frozen french fries (and for crispy roasted red potatoes with oil and herbs they are great) - and whatever. I usually line them with foil, then spray that to make cleanup easier, but for baking I use silicone mats instead. I use the the sheer pans under pies and casseroles if there is a concern for spillage or boil-over.

My 1/2 sheet pans are probably the best bang for buck that I have in the kitchen, considering how much I use them.

I also bought glass bakeware at Walmart from Anchor-Hocking instead of Pyrex last month, because the Pyrex was nearly twice the price.

Half- and quarter-sheet pans are workhorses in my kitchen. I have several of each. The one drawback is you cannot put them in the DW because a chemical in the DW detergent turns raw aluminum black.

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"If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe." -Carl Sagan

Not just for cookies and bars... I use mine almost daily. I bought my heavy duty ones in a 2 pack at Sam's Club for $12. I bought 4, gave 2 to my sister, and like me, she uses them for everything. They are great for roasted chicken parts, ribs, frozen french fries (and for crispy roasted red potatoes with oil and herbs they are great) - and whatever. I usually line them with foil, then spray that to make cleanup easier, but for baking I use silicone mats instead. I use the the sheer pans under pies and casseroles if there is a concern for spillage or boil-over.

My 1/2 sheet pans are probably the best bang for buck that I have in the kitchen, considering how much I use them.

I also bought a glass 9x13 cake pan at Walmart from Anchor-Hocking instead of Pyrex last month, because the Pyrex was nearly twice the price - my old Pyrex one shattered in the oven a couple of months before we moved back to the States. The Anchor brand one came with a silicone cover that makes taking things to pot luck dinners easier too.

Definitely agree, my 1/2 sheet pans get quite a workout. I also line them with foil, makes cleanup much easier!